Cultural and tourism minister Rosanna Law on Saturday said officials are working with police to combat ticket scalping for the Kai Tak Sports Park opening next month.
Despite a real-name registration system, some people have been reselling tickets online for the star-studded event at prices far beyond HK$10.
Speaking on a radio programme, Law called on members of the public to stay vigilant against scams.
“If you try to buy tickets above face value or buy from scalpers, you will only encourage more scalping activities,” she said.
“Since we have broadcasts on four TV channels, there’s no need to scramble for these tickets that come from unknown sources and could even be fake.”
People will have to exchange their electronic vouchers for physical tickets at the Kai Tak Arena on February 27, 28 or the event day.
The cultural minister said officials will keep pursuing additional guests for the ceremony on March 1, which features athletes, singers and performers.
Law also said she’s confident about crowd management on the show day, noting that 80 percent of spectators were able to leave on the first MTR train after two major Kai Tak drills.
Meanwhile, the tourism chief expects next week’s budget speech to reveal this year’s visitor forecast, which she thinks will exceed last year’s numbers.
“Last year, visitor arrivals reached 45 million. With more spectacular mega events this year like the giant pandas and the Kai Tak Sports Park opening, I expect visitor numbers to rise further. But we’ve mentioned that we’re not just pursuing quantity but also quality,” she said.
Laine Drews
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